Nathan met him at the elevator with the wary, assessing look of a man who'd already decided he didn't like this development, whatever it turned out to be.

"Mr. Ashford didn't mention an appointment."

"He wouldn't have," Ezra said easily. "Tell him it's about the study. He'll know what that means."

Nathan clearly didn't believe him, and clearly wasn't willing to bet his job on being wrong, which was precisely the calculation Ezra had been counting on. Five minutes later, he was standing in Lucien Ashford's office with the door closed behind him, and Lucien was watching him from behind a desk with the particular stillness of a man deciding...